QF108 and connections at LAX

[digitalbath]

Hi,

I was on QF108 last Wednesday (JFK to LAX leg) and the we sat on the plane at the gate for at least 45 minutes due to bad weather / backlog of aircraft

I had a connection at LAX for QF94 to Melbourne and it started to look like I was going to arrive at LAX after it's scheduled departure.

Luckily we got clearance for take off and bypassed about 8 planes in the queue and I made my next flight with 5 mins to spare.

The pilot said it was normal for QF108 to be delayed.

Which got me curious - what normally happens with the connecting flights in LAX - do they normally wait for you - or do you have to spend a night in LA?

 

[Skyring]

Which got me curious - what normally happens with the connecting flights in LAX - do they normally wait for you - or do you have to spend a night in LA?

I always stay on QF108 JFK-LAX-SYD because it counts as one leg on a DONE4. It's a free US Transcon as well. Bulk SC and points.

Assuming there's space available, just stay on QF108 to SYD - I mean if it's late arriving it's the same plane continuing on so it's not going to leave before it arrives - and it's going to be a lot easier to get the next SYD-MEL flight than any other option.

 

[defurax]

Hi,

I was on QF108 last Wednesday (JFK to LAX leg) and the we sat on the plane at the gate for at least 45 minutes due to bad weather / backlog of aircraft

I had a connection at LAX for QF94 to Melbourne and it started to look like I was going to arrive at LAX after it's scheduled departure.

Luckily we got clearance for take off and bypassed about 8 planes in the queue and I made my next flight with 5 mins to spare.

The pilot said it was normal for QF108 to be delayed.

Which got me curious - what normally happens with the connecting flights in LAX - do they normally wait for you - or do you have to spend a night in LA?

IME QF will delay the departure of QF94 by 30-45 min max for connecting QF108 PAX arriving from JFK. Also, QF has contacted me in the past to make alternative arrangements to reach LAX directly and avoid JFK (winter storm, invasion of VIP planes landing at JFK for UN meetings, etc). Worst case scenario they put you in a nearby (or not so nearby...) hotel.

 

[digitalbath]

Yeah I will definitely book it like JFK > LAX > SYD (all QF108) > MEL next time

That way I don't have to stress about the change of planes... even though it is an extra flight to get home its a lot less stressful if JFK is busy.

The 747's have the A380 seats and entertainment screens now so they are alright. I hated going from a A380 to 747 in the past...

 

[Melburnian1]

A reason that QF94 cannot (ideally) be indefinitely delayed in LAX is that with the current QF schedules, it arrives MEL at 0820 with that same A380 forming QF9, the 1525 hours flight to DXB and LHR.

The schedule from LAX may be slack depending on winds and how quickly the flight is airborne among other factors, but a four or five hour delay (say if QF108 was delayed due to 'bad' weather in New York) would not thrill QF as the A380 might not then achieve its timetabled turnaround in MEL.

 

[madrooster]

A reason that QF94 cannot (ideally) be indefinitely delayed in LAX is that with the current QF schedules, it arrives MEL at 0820 with that same A380 forming QF9, the 1525 hours flight to DXB and LHR.

The schedule from LAX may be slack depending on winds and how quickly the flight is airborne among other factors, but a four or five hour delay (say if QF108 was delayed due to 'bad' weather in New York) would not thrill QF as the A380 might not then achieve its timetabled turnaround in MEL.

You'd have bigger issues delaying QF94 that long in LAX, along with QF16 to BNE such as crew running down their hours etc.

I'm not sure if QF already do this but given that QF12 leaves at 10:20pm, if they know QF108 is going to be late inbound from JFK they could shift pax from QF108 to QF12 (those joining at LAX) to free up space on QF108 ex-LAX. This would potentially allow QF16/QF94 to depart without waiting for QF108 if the delay is long enough as those pax that would otherwise switch to QF16/QF94 could simply continue on that late QF108 to SYD and be rebooked on a domestic sector to BNE/MEL.

 

[blackcat20]

You'd have bigger issues delaying QF94 that long in LAX, along with QF16 to BNE such as crew running down their hours etc.

I'm not sure if QF already do this but given that QF12 leaves at 10:20pm, if they know QF108 is going to be late inbound from JFK they could shift pax from QF108 to QF12 (those joining at LAX) to free up space on QF108 ex-LAX. This would potentially allow QF16/QF94 to depart without waiting for QF108 if the delay is long enough as those pax that would otherwise switch to QF16/QF94 could simply continue on that late QF108 to SYD and be rebooked on a domestic sector to BNE/MEL.

This is what happened to me..QF108 was about four hours late out of JFK (plane arrived late from Auckland), so we were put on 108 to Sydney then connected to Melbourne. Only just made the connection too.

 

[bjaust]

I do the QF 108 to QF 94 change a few times a year. So far, of the three trips this year, all three QF 108 flights were delayed by a minimum of 30 mins and a max of almost 2 hours. The 30 min delays didn't really affect anything other than lounge time (). For the 2 hour delay, the CSM walked around the J cabin explaining that they would hold either the Melbourne or Brisbane flights, and try to get as many pax as possible onto whichever flight was held (or any spare seats on QF 108). In the end, they decided to hold the Melbourne flight so my onward journey was fine - I didn't hear a lot of complaining so guess that the Brisbane people must have been accomodated somehow.

I have tried taking QF 108 all the way to Syd then doing a domestic flight to Mel but changing terminals at Syd is a pain and you get home a couple of hours later than if you take QF 94.

 

[drewbles]

There's a very good reason it's nicknamed 'QF1-oh-late'. Weather can cause major issues with it

I did 108 to 94 last year and made it easily, but have heard many stories of people not so lucky, and overnighted in LAX.

 

[moa999]

I would have thought overnight was less likely, and you would more get bumped to QF108 with a domestic connection.

 

[blackcat20]

I would have thought overnight was less likely, and you would more get bumped to QF108 with a domestic connection.

I would have thought so too, but I guess it depends on just how late 108 is out of JFK.

 

[drewbles]

I would have thought so too, but I guess it depends on just how late 108 is out of JFK.

Or how full. Although that's less of an issue these days as they use the 747 on LAX-JFK 107 and JFK-LAX 108, connecting to a 380 most the time (not always though).

 

[blackcat20]

Or how full. Although that's less of an issue these days as they use the 747 on LAX-JFK 107 and JFK-LAX 108, connecting to a 380 most the time (not always though).

Ah, thats right. When I did it, it was an A330 from Auckland...